


Truths We Refuse To See

by AetherSprite (AranthianPrincess)



Series: Truths and Lies [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pining, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 11:30:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7435922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AranthianPrincess/pseuds/AetherSprite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony's feeling a little better after his latest kidnapping ordeal. Physically better, anyway. Now he just seems to be spending all his time pining after Steve.</p><p>Sequel to "Lies We Tell Ourselves".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truths We Refuse To See

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to “Lies We Tell Ourselves”. It is also a fill for the picture of Tony's workshop square on my bingo card.

“I'm here, Tony. I've got you. I'm going to take you home.”

Tony opened his eyes, blinking slowly as he tried to shake off the dream and remember where he was. Slowly, his brain came out of the groggy state caused by sleep and began to function at normal levels again. The workshop came into focus, as did the cool hardness of the steel table he'd used as an improvised pillow. Not the most comfortable of choices, but still better than waking up in a cell.

He sat up carefully, trying to stretch out the sore muscles that protested his movement. An involuntary groan escaped his mouth before he could stop it and Tony found himself grateful no one was around to hear it.

“Good morning, Sir,” JARVIS said, a hint of disapproval in his tone. Of course, JARVIS would hear him.

“Hey, J. What time is it?”

“It is 6:27am. You slept for approximately four hours.”

“Gah,” Tony groaned, running his hand through his hair then over his face. “I need coffee.”

“Might I suggest sleeping in an actual bed instead, Sir?” JARVIS said.

His voice followed Tony as he wandered down the hall to the elevator, speakers activating in sequence until the elevator doors closed behind Tony and it jerked into motion.

“No time to sleep, J. I've got a lot of work to catch up on.”

“As you say, Sir,” JARVIS said, but Tony could tell he didn't approve.

Fortunately, he didn't say anything when Tony made it to the kitchen only to find Steve sitting at the table drawing. Steve glanced up and smiled when he saw him. Tony gave him a brief smile in return and quickly slipped past him to get to the coffee maker.

“Good morning, Tony. You're up early,” Steve said.

“Morning, Cap. Just making a coffee run before I get back to work.”

That gave Steve pause and he stopped mid-sketch to frown up at Tony. “Have you been sleeping at all? You look exhausted.”

“I've caught a few hours here and there,” Tony said casually, waving a hand. “You know, the usual.”

Steve's frown deepened. “Tony, you've been through a lot lately. You need to give yourself time to recover.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. No need to be a mother hen unless you plan to take up babysitting me.”

Steve shook his head and went back to his drawing. “Just try to take better care of yourself. We do like having you around, you know.”

“I make no promises.”

Steve snorted and they fell into a comfortable silence. Tony leaned against the counter, waiting for the coffee to finish brewing and watching Steve. Even when he did something as simple as sketch an outline on paper, Tony found his movements graceful. As he stood there, watching Steve get absorbed in his drawing, Tony half wished Steve would take him up on the babysitting suggestion.

Suddenly, the coffee maker beeped, signaling the end of the brewing cycle and snapping Tony back to reality. He quickly filled a mug and hurried back to the workshop with every intention of burying himself so deep in work that he wouldn't be able to think about Steve or those strong arms holding him close. It must just be a residual effect of his captivity and the truth serum he was dosed with. He was not pining after Steve.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey, Tony? Do you mind if I hang out down here? It's too loud upstairs,” Steve asked.

Tony glanced up to see him standing in the doorway to the workshop, drawing pad under one arm while the other rubbed sheepishly at his neck.

“Uh, sure,” he said, focusing intently back on his current project to avoid staring longingly at Steve. “Make yourself at home.”

“Thanks,” Steve said.

Tony could hear the smile in his voice along with the sounds of Steve crossing the workshop to the couch in the corner. They worked in silence. Tony was just starting to relax and forget about the occasional feeling of eyes on him when Steve spoke, his voice much closer than Tony remembered him being.

“Hey, Tony?” Steve said, making Tony jump. “Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you.”

“Don't worry about it,” Tony said, willing his heart to stop rabbiting. “At least I wasn't holding a soldering iron or welding torch. What'd ya need?”

Tony was facing Steve now, back to the computer, and he almost wished he hadn't turned around. Steve brushed his hair back from his face and kissed his forehead. Tony could feel his eyes go wide and he stared at Steve, confused.

“Steve? What?”

For a moment, Steve looked torn, like he was on the verge of saying something irrevocable, but then he sighed and the conflict vanished from his eyes, buried deep. Tony thought he might have imagined seeing it at all because Steve's next words definitely did not sound life-changing.

“Come on, Tony. I'm going to take you to bed.”

Than again, maybe they were.


End file.
